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Peabody’s Tianna Dawe got the job done in the circle and at the plate for the Tanners Sunday.
By SCOT COOPER
REVERE — The Peabody High softball team had it, lost it, and then got it back at the end, picking up the winning runs in the top of the seventh, in a 7-5 win over Revere Sunday.
Revere coach Joe Ciccarello was very disappointed, as his team committed several miscues in the field, the last three leading to the Tanners’ winning runs.
“It’s tough it’s very frustrating, we started out great, first ten games, now the defense is struggling and we’ve lost three in a row to NEC teams,” Ciccarello said. “Our offense struggled, they came back, and it’s been defensive problems that have led to losses against Lynn Classical, Danvers and now Peabody.
“We were fantastic on offense and on defense the first ten games, we’re 10-6 now, we certainly have a few things to fix before we play in the tournament,” Ciccarello said.
Peabody scratched out two hits in the top of the first from Alyssa Alperen and pitcher Tianna Dawe. Dawe’s single brought home Alperen to give Peabody a quick lead.
Things were pretty routine for Dawe and for Revere pitcher Olivia McManus until the third, when the hits and runs started piling up.
Revere’s Victoria Correia put her team up one when she cracked a homer to dead center field, bringing in Ally Hinojosa from second. Hinojosa singled and stole second to get in scoring position.
Revere made it 3-1 in the bottom of the fourth when Sam Woodman drove home Gabby Cammarata, who walked to start the inning.
McManus retired the Tanners 1-2-3 in the fourth, but things changed quickly in the top of the fifth.
Kaitlin Thibodeau-Corey led off with a single, Ashley Jenkins scored her with a hit, and Jenkins came in on a single and an error on a ball hit by Amanda Crawford. Crawford scored on a double by Dawe, and Dawe scored the fourth run of the inning on a groundout by Makala Iannalfo.
Down 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth, Patriot pinch-hitter Jordan Sullivan banged a double that brought home Woodman and Vanessa Puopolo, and the game was tied at five after six.
Peabody scored the eventual winning runs in the top of the seventh, on a combination of hits by Crawford, and Katie Tansey. Revere also dug themselves a hole by committing three errors in the inning.
Dawe allowed two base runners in the bottom of the seventh, but got a whiff, ending the game that moved the Tanners to 9-8, on win away from the tournament, with two games this week.
Dawe said it’s easy to pitch when your team plays great behind you.
“We needed this win, a lot, and we got it because my team made great plays behind me,” Dawe said. “I know I can count on them to help me out.”
Peabody coach Butch Melanaphy said it wasn’t easy, but he’ll always take a win.
“This was a struggle, it always is when these two teams play, we were able to take it, and now we need one more for the playoffs,” Melanaphy said.